As the world of cardiovascular turns
By now, you probably know my stand on surgery: Always explore the alternatives and get a second opinion.
Too many surgeries are just plain pointless and unjustified. In fact, up to 90 percent of certain surgeries performed in the U.S. may be completely unnecessary!
Prostate cancer surgeries, hysterectomies, and lower back surgeries as performed in this country are often unnecessary. Now you can add stents to that list.
A recent study found that most angioplasties—as the stent procedure is called—are not needed. Drugs are just as effective to treat non-emergency chest pain as having an angioplasty done, according to the study. Also, there was no difference in rates of death and heart attacks between the groups that had stents and those who took medications. The researchers are recommending that patients try drugs first.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying that drugs are the only solution either. But given a choice between taking a drug and having an invasive surgery, I’d say drugs should definitely get the nod. Hey, if you’ve got active heart disease, the horse is out of the barn and medications now have a valid role. But what angers me is how drugs become the focus, with only feeble lip service paid to diet, lifestyle changes and supplements. Leave these out and you’re missing at least half the game.
To top it off, there has been a lot of press lately about the safety of drug-coated stents, which raise the risk of blood clots after the procedure.
This procedure is pushed on patients, but it only affects one artery blockage at a time. It doesn’t seem logical to ignore the rest of the heart, or to have the patient go through this several times as if it were a trip through the car wash.
And therein lies the rub: Angioplasties are in the ballpark of $30,000 to 40,000. Medications—especially in generic form—well, just aren’t visiting the same ballpark.
Ah, the picture is getting clearer!
I recommend a stepped approach to heart disease. It begins with healthy lifestyle changes. A Mediterranean style diet is heart healthy, so get on it! And get moving—30 to 45 minutes of vigorous exercise at least five times a week. Poor sleep, depression and out-of-control stress all up the chance of something bad happening down the road, so fix it if it’s broke. And while you’re at it, (if you’re not already doing this) take a fish oil supplement. I recommend you get at least 1,000 milligrams of total EPA from a fish oil supplement—that’s five to six capsules of most formulations.
